Count on You
by magnipisika16
Summary: Don't hurt me . . . Desert me . . . Don't give up on me . . Don't use me . . .   Take advantage of me . . . Make me sorry I ever counted on you . . . Oneshot sequel to "Wanna Bet"!


**Halo~~~ It is I, The Almighty Sugar-Plum Fairy sent from the innermost secrets of your forgotten attics!**

**In short, it's me, Maggie! What is up, ya'll? Me? Oh, nothing! Just the promised SEQUEL to my latest chappy, "Wanna Bet"! Oh yeah . . .**

**Anyway, since this is a sequel, you **_**might **_**not be able to get this unless you read "Wanna Bet" (then again, this fic is not that related to the first one), but . . . . ah! Who cares? Read and ask later, like how I always say!**

**Oh, by the way, this fic may be a **_**bit **_**disturbing; especially to my fellow Lal Mirch fans out there, so if, by any chance, you find some of her actions a bit offensive or weird, do not blame me . . .**

**. . . Blame alcohol.**

**So, with that aside, let us read on and find out the wonders that are hidden beneath Lal's reason for the constant "no"s thrown upon the ever persistent Colonello!**

**-m16-**

Loud knocks were heard from the door. The blond Italian tossed and turned on his bed, trying his best to obscure out the noise.

That, however, didn't work.

"What, kora?" he called out, pushing away the covers and sitting up frustratingly.

"You have any idea where Lal Mirch is right now?" a voice asked.

"In her room, kora," he replied nonchalantly, laying his head back in the pillow.

"Are you sure?"

"Why are you asking _me_?"

"I figured _you _might want to know, seeing that you two are already a couple now."

"We're not yet a couple, kora."

"I see, then. So you _don't _want to know where Lal is?"

Colonello grunted as he pushed himself up, and headed for the door.

"Who the heck are you, kora?" he asked, leaning his drowsy head on the hardwood.

"Your conscience."

"Very funny, Reborn." He rolled his eyes as he reached for the doorknob. "What now? You got locked off your own room, and now looking for someone to bother, kora?"

"Just open the door, moron."

Colonello did, and, as soon as he did, a picture zoomed its way into his face. He picked it from his face, and stared at it groggily.

"Mammon took that from a nearby club. Good thing he owed me a favor, otherwise, I would've had to bribe it from him."

"What's this, kora?"

"Look closer. Recognize who _that _is?"

Colonello squinted, and found a familiar blue head as if being tossed backwards in heavy laughter. Its body was almost hidden by multitudes of men, all buzzing around her.

"What the . . .?"

"You better hurry," the well-suited man smirked. "Or else, there might not be anything left for you."

**-m16-**

Colonello looked askance at the flashing lights as he made his way through the partying crowd. More often than not, he gets pushed towards different directions, sandwiched by two bodies, and is sometimes mistaken as a dance partner. All these he had to endure until he reached the latter part of the establishment where a strong, recognizable laughter can be heard.

Well slap him with a brick and call him Flippy, Lal Mirch was laughing!

"Lal . . .?" he murmured unbelievingly as he squeezed himself through the second batch of party-heads towards the cobaltette. The girl was having what seems like a "thorough" conversation with the other drunken men that involves touching her legs and occasionally kissing her.

This Colonello will not stand for.

"Lal Mirch," he called out in a firm, authoritative voice. It was then that she turned around, and what a face to show!

"Somebody called for me?" asked the blushing woman.

"I did, kora." Colonello stomped towards her and seized her arm.

"Hey!" she cried as she struggled to squirm free.

"Don't 'hey' me, kora!" he reprimanded her. "Get up from there. We're going home!"

"Oy," someone snarled from behind him, landing a large, beefy hand on his shoulder. "Stop bothering the lady . . . Unless you like to go through me."

Colonello turned around and looked at the tall man determinedly. He attempted to say something back to him, but somebody has pushed him from behind, and he was forced to look behind him as well. This went on with five other men coming from different directions, and he was resolute to fight them all. That was before he felt Lal's arm slide off his hold.

"Now, now, boys," she warned, waving her hand comically to make them back off, and give her some space to reach Colonello. "I know him, so, chill, all of you."

She swayed herself towards Colonello. As soon as she reached him, she tripped on her own feet and dropped towards him, forcing him to catch her.

With that, she started laughing.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as her hands slithered up his body until they reached his face. "You came to join us?"

"What the hell, kora?" he exclaimed as he grabbed her naughty hands and brought them down to her sides. "Will you listen to what you're saying? You're drunk, alright? Now, come on, let's go home, kora!"

"No!" she protested. "I'm not going home! I _like_ it here!"

"Lal, you have to go home somehow, kora! Come on, don't be like that!"

He tugged at her, and she pulled back again and again while having the howling of men as their background.

"Hey, come on, Jerk!" one yelled. "The lady doesn't want to be with you!"

"Yeah, leave her alone!"

A few minutes more had passed before he finally let her go.

"Fine, I won't pull you anymore, kora," he said, rising up his hands in defeat.

"Thank you," Lal groaned, rubbing her wrist. "If I were you, I'd just join us." She twisted herself, and when she faced him again, produced a tall glass of vodka.

"Come on, have a drink."

Colonello sighed as he reached for the glass, and swallowed the numbing liquid in one shot while everyone cheered. He laid down the glass at a nearby table.

"Well?"Lal asked hopefully. The Italian smiled at her as he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist. His commander began chortling as she felt his warm skin brush against hers, but the laughter was replaced by a heavy grunt, and was ensued by hisses and curses as he tightened his hold and lifted her light body up his shoulder.

He began walking out of the establishment amidst the different profanities that flew around his ears as he went.

**-m16-**

"Let me go!"

"No, kora!"

"Let go!"

"Ow! H-hey! Stop that, kora!"

"Let me go!"

Colonello gave out a "tsk" as he violently laid her down on the couch. Lal began thrashing as soon as she was placed down, and so, Colonello had no choice but to spend the next few minutes trying to stop her from scratching his face.

"Lal, you're acting like a child, kora!" he cried as he grabbed both her wrists and pinned them against the backrest. The woman stopped to look at his enraged face, a few inches from hers, and then looked away.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

Colonello stared at her and sighed.

"Okay," he said, straightening himself up, letting go of her wrists. He looked around as if to think things through, and then gazed back at her again. "Does your head hurt, kora?"

She nodded feebly. He reached for her face, landing his hand on her cheek.

"Stay here, alright?" he told her gently. "I'll go make you some tea, kora."

"Whatever," she garbled.

As he turned around, Lal suddenly pushed herself up, and tackled him from behind.

If there was one thing that Lal was, it was a sore loser. She hated loosing, especially from someone who was once her _student_.

"Lal, kora!" Colonello cried, trying his best to pry off her arms.

"Shut up!" she shouted back. "Do you think I want it here? Do you think I want to be with you? If yes, then you're horribly wrong! I hate everything about this place, Ezekiel! I hate everything about you!"

"What?"

Lal's weight caught him by surprise, and he fell back towards the couch. His initial reaction was to check on the woman.

"Lal, are you okay, kora?" he inquired.

Said woman raised her head from the cold wall and began rubbing it with one hand, while the other was still wrapped around him.

"Did you hit your head, kora? Hold on, I'll go get you some ice."

"No!" She wrapped her arms around his shoulders again, and rested her chin on one of them. "Don't leave me, Ezekiel . . ."

"I-I'm not Ezekiel, kora . . ."

Lal opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Of course you aren't him. It would only by some miracle that I'd be able to see him again . . ." It was then that she began sobbing.

Colonello didn't bother prying her arms off. They just sat there, him listening to her constant mumblings of the name "Ezekiel", silently wondering who he was and what kind of bastard was he for making her cry like this.

"Who's Ezekiel, kora?" he asked when the moaning stopped.

She didn't answer.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me, kora . . ."

"Ezekiel was my . . ." her voice trailed off as she nuzzled her face onto him.

"Your . . . ?"

"Nevermind," she chuckled.

She raised her face and smiled at nothing in particular.

"Did you know that I was supposed to be married before?" she suddenly blurted out, much to his surprise. "Yeah, it could've been the happiest day of my life. I would've quitted the army because of him."

"What happened, kora?"

She shrugged.

"You know what? Today's our anniversary . . ."

"Is that why you're drowning yourself with liquor, kora?"

"Yeah . . . I'm celebrating alone . . . In hope that maybe one day, he'd come back for me like how he promised. Maybe then, we'll be able to celebrate together."

"Lal . . ."

"We even have our own song . . . but now, I don't even remember the words nor the tune. Heh, how stupid can I get?"

"Lal, let me go," Colonello finally mumbled. "I'm going to get some ice for that head of yours . . ."

"Wait, hold on! I think I remember now . . ."

Lal cleared her throat, and then started singing. First, it was cut again and again, and was even chorused with hiccups, but as she went farther up the song, her voice began to gain melody and her eyes began to form tears.

"_Don't hurt me . . .  
>Desert me . . .<br>Don't give up on me . . ."_

"Lal, come on, that's enough," Colonello told her, but still, she kept on singing.

"_Don't use me . . .  
>Take advantage of me . . .<br>Make me sorry I ever counted on you . . ."_

Colonello gave out a weary sigh as he reached for her arms to pry them off again, and she didn't show any sign of fighting, but she _did_ stop singing. He took this chance to run to the kitchen and come back shortly after with a bag of ice. Lal was still on her place, leaning her throbbing head on the cold surface of the wall.

He took a nearby cushion, and gently lifted her head, and slid the pillow behind her head. Then he carefully placed the bag of ice on the swollen part.

Lal's head began shifting from side-to-side until it fell down to his shoulder. He was dumbfounded for a minute, but soon placed the ice bag again as he started brushing off her hair from her face. Lal started humming again, and soon, he caught the tune of the song, and started humming to himself.

"That feels good," she sighed, catching his hand and resting it on her blemished cheek.

Colonello smiled.

"Want to know something?" she whispered. "No one has ever taken care of me when I was drunk. Not Ezekiel, not even my own parents." She looked up. "Thanks, Colonello."

"I didn't know you recognized who I was, kora," he chuckled.

"I'm drunk, not an amnesiac," she retorted.

The last thing she heard was his comforting chuckle.

**-m16-**

"There you go, kora."

He laid down the sleeping figure on the soft bed, stealing a soft kiss on her warm forehead. After draping a blanket over her body, he started tiptoeing out of the room.

"Hey, Maggot," someone called. He turned around and found Lal thriving to lift herself from her bed, and, after straightening herself, she rubbed her hand on her head.

"I-I thought you were already asleep, kora!" Colonello exclaimed, and she started laughing.

"And, you actually believed that foolish nonsense?" she mocked, stopping a bit to rub her head again.

Colonello hit his face with his palm.

"Listen, Lal, if I were you, I'd go to sleep right now, and . . . _WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING, KORA?"_

As if his recent experience with her at the bar wasn't bad enough, Lal had begun to take this night into a whole new level. She grabbed hold of the hem of her shirt, and pulled upward, amidst Colonello's constant begging for her not to. Not only that, her arms began moving underneath the blanket, connoting that she was pulling of her shorts as well.

"L-Lal, kora!" he cried, running towards the bed to grab her arms, but it was too late. She was already nude before he could do anything else.

"P-Put your c-clothes back on, k-kora!"

"What are you blabbing about, Idiot?" she asked as he tried to cover her chest with the same blanket while refusing to stare.

"Will you just relax?" she cried, laying her head back on the pillow. "I just feel too warm."

"Well, you don't have to take your clothes off in front of me, kora!" he explained, covering his eyes and turning around. "Whatever happens I'm still a man!"

"Yeah, so?" she asked. "I'm used to peeling off my clothes in front of men when at war during my COMSUMBIN days. What are you so surprised about?"

Colonello didn't answer anymore, but just remained in that position. He refused to look back at her despite the feeling of her eyes boring unto him. Soon, that feeling faded.

He turned around and found her already asleep.

But, right now, he knows that he can never be sure.

"Lal?" he softly called out, tiptoeing towards the bed. She didn't move a muscle.

"Are you still awake, kora?"

Still, no answer.

He sighed as he looked closer at her slumbering face, and then smiled.

"You look really cute when you're asleep, kora," he commented. He brushed a lock of hair from her face and brushed his lips against her forehead.

"Goodnight, kora."

Colonello crept back to the door, and noiselessly turned the knob.

But the doorknob didn't budge.

**-m16-**

Lal woke up the next morning with a throbbing head that was ready to detonate. She raised her self up as she tried to nurse her crown with the constant rubbing with her hand.

_What the hell happened last night?_

"Darn," she muttered as she flinched at the feeling of stabbing pain throughout her body. "I feel like I've hit my head into a wall for about ten times." She looked down at her cold body, and then sighed.

"And then stripped."

She looked around to find her robe, but all she found was the scattered remains of the newspaper she used to lock her door, since her doorknob got broken the other night.

Which means she was locked from the inside.

Which also means that she had to pass through the window.

Again.

She tried to flush the idea until she could find her robe. Her eyes journeyed around her bed, but she didn't find anything except the feeling of someone else's skin.

"What the . . .?"

Her neck slowly shifted to that direction, and swore in that moment that she was ready to kill.

"_**WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?**_" Lal immediately covered her bare chest and, with all her might, she kicked the sleeping figure off her bed.

"Wha-wha-ah!" The man was not given a chance to defend himself and had no choice but to wake up on the floor.

"You perverted freak!" she cried. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"W-w-w-wait just a m-minute, kora," he stuttered, crawling back onto the bed. "You got it all wrong, kora!"

"Then, why are you here? And, why am I naked?"

"A-ah, you . . ."

Knocks were heard from the door.

"Lal-san?" a female voice asked. Both knew exactly who it was.

"Fuck it, it's Luce," she mumbled, and then faced him. "How do you think am I going to explain _this _to her?"

"Lal, we didn't do anything wrong here, kora!" Colonello tried his best to explain, but the dubious expression on Lal's face did not disappear.

Then they heard the doorknob being twisted.

"Lal-san, is something wrong? Are you locked in?" The both of them locked their stare at the moving door. Luce was going to try and open it, and she was succeeding.

"Damn it . . ." Lal muttered as she gnawed on her own thumb. She began looking back and forth between Colonello and the door. When it finally squeaked, Lal immediately grabbed Colonello's arm, pushed him down the bed, and covered them both with her blanket.

"Lal-san," Luce called as she let herself in Lal's room. She found a lump on the bed, which she concluded as Lal Mirch.

"Honestly, dear. You should be careful with this door of yours. Remember that the lock is still broken because of what happened the other night." She started to twist the untwistable knob. "I think I should have someone fix this."

She faced the lump.

"Dear, are you okay?"

"Uh, y-yeah, Luce. I'm fine," the lump answered.

"Are you sure, dear? I heard from Mr. Reborn that you were in a . . . _depressing _place, and that Colonello-san came to get you."

From under the blanket, Colonello attempted to react from Luce's statement, but Lal was quick to cover his mouth.

"Yes, Luce, I'm sure," she insisted, glaring at the muffling blond.

"Lal-san, please. Let me see you now." Luce walked near her and held a part of the lump, which was Lal's shoulder.

Said woman's eyes bulged as she muttered curses under her breath and as Colonello tried to squirm free.

"N-no!" Lal almost shrieked. "I-I'm not dressed . . ."

"That's okay, dear," Luce reassured her, trying to pull the blanket away, but Lal clutched on it as if it was her life.

Unfortunately for the cobaltette, Luce thrived in pulling the covers away. Lal was quick to pull them over her head again.

"Luce, please! J-just wait for me downstairs! I'll be down in five minutes, okay?"

The lady straightened herself and sighed.

"Okay. _Five _minutes . . ."

As soon as she heard the door shut, Lal pushed away the covers, and heaved her companion by the collar.

"Listen here, I don't care what happened last night," she hissed. "But I would greatly appreciate it if you leave the hell out of this place while I still have the patience to wait."

"B-but, Lal . . ."

"_**NOW**_!" She drew a handgun from one of her drawers and aimed it at the stuttering blond. Colonello had no choice but to slide off the bed and head for the door.

"Not there," she halted him. "Luce might see you come out of there!"

"Then where do you want me to go through, kora? The window?"

A smirk formed itself on Lal's haggard face. Her answer was "yes".

"No way!" he protested. "I'm not going to fall off that window _again_ and, this time, risk myself getting killed, kora!"

"I see, then," she answered. "So you want to die right here, right now?"

She cocked her gun at him, and was ready to shoot.

"Fine! Fine!" the poor man cried. "I'll go through that window, kora!"

From downstairs, two Arcobalenos, namely Skull and Mammon, were in a heated argument, but this was interrupted for a moment when they heard a scream followed by a violent crash.

**-m16-**

"Well, you look horrible."

"Thanks. I just _love _hearing that every morning, especially when I'm suffering from a hangover."

The Sun Arcobaleno raised his brow at the scowling woman.

"Hangover, you say? So you must've had a _very _nice drink last night, I presume. What kind of problem are you trying to dramatize about this time?"

"Problem?" Lal asked in mock innocence. "Me drinking presents that I have a problem? Geez, Reborn, I can't think of anything bothersome in my life as of late save for this man sitting here in front of me."

"You mean, Skull?"

Lal groaned as she rolled her eyes and leaned on the table in irritation. Reborn smirked at her.

"I can feel you smirking at me," she said. "You're an ass for that."

"Come now, you two," Luce said gently, settling down a plate of bread at the table. "It's a good morning. Let's try not to ruin it with more arguments." She looked around.

"Dear me . . . Where's Colonello-san?"

Lal raised her head and unconsciously blushed.

"Do you have any idea, Lal?" Luce asked softly.

"I-I, er . . ."

"Colonello left early this morning," Reborn claimed, sipping on his cup of espresso. "He seemed to be in a hurry. Judging by the way he explained, something wrong must've happened last night."

Lal stared at him unbelievingly.

"What happened last night?" Skull asked.

Reborn just shrugged.

"How would I know?"he replied, stealing a glance at Lal Mirch. "I wasn't with him last night."

_That ass_, Lal cried inwardly, glaring daggers at the well-suited man.

She _knew _it in her gut that Reborn would never tell a lie for her . . . unless he had something to gain from it.

"It _is _quite strange, though," Fon chimed in. "I kept hearing voices last night. They seemed like they were fighting, but I'm not really sure."

"Yes, I've heard them," Verde claimed. "I recognize one as a female's voice. Who could that be?"

Lal refused to make eye contact as several stares bore unto her. Everyone was questioning her—that she as sure of—save for Reborn, whose gaze was nothing but of naughtiness.

"There are only two females in this household, and we all know Luce is out of the question." Reborn tilted his head innocently at Lal. "So, Lal? What were you doing last night?"

Shoot. Even _she _doesn't know.

Lal found that she couldn't take all these at eight in the morning with a throbbing head and a close-to-cracking type of patience. With a heavy grunt of annoyance addressed mostly to Reborn, she stood up, excused herself, and headed for the door.

"Lal-san, where are you going?" Luce inquired, going after her.

"I need air, Luce," she replied, not even bothering to look at the curious pair of azure orbs. "Ain't no way am I going to get that _here_."

"Wait," Luce prodded, but Lal ignored that.

"I'm not mad at anyone, if that's what you're worried about."

_Save for Reborn_, she added silently.

"Just wait a minute, Lal." Said woman was supposed to counter again, but the reprimanding glint in the Sky Arcobaleno's eyes made the her clump her mouth shut and waited for whatever it is that the latter wanted.

Luce beamed all of a sudden.

"That's not what I wanted to say," she smiled, and then held out her hand. "Here you go."

Lal stared at the object confusedly, and then, gradually, her eyes began to widen.

"I found this on your room's floor, but don't worry. I promise I won't pry."

**-m16-**

Colonello angrily watched his Falco fly above him. Oh, how he wished he could the same; to fly as high as the heavens might permit him, and possibly escape this place forever.

Or, at least, be able to avoid kissing the hard ground the next time Lal pushes him out the window.

He groaned.

"You enjoying your sunbathing, Idiot?" someone asked. The Italian straightened himself up and found Lal approaching him.

"How'd you find me here, kora?"

"Easy," she said, looking around the empty place. "I go where I feel like going to. Isn't that where I always find you?"

"A vacant carnival space, kora?"

"You see a vacant carnival space, I see a special memory."

"Special memory, kora?" He chuckled, and then spread his arms across the bench he sat on. Again, he was reminded of that fateful night.

If only things were that way everyday.

Lal bit her lip as she slowly held out her hand. Colonello looked up at her confusedly and then lowered his gaze at the object on her palm.

It was a black pin with a white "01" written on it. Immediately, Colonello began searching his jacket, and found that the pin on his chest was missing. Again, he looked up at her cautiously.

"T-thanks, kora," he said as he reached out for the pin, but Lal was quick to close her hands.

"Allow me." Colonello looked at her, bewildered, so Lal explained by gesturing on his jacket.

"Oh," he breathed. "S-sure, kora . . ."

The man adjusted himself to make room for the woman, and the latter sat next to him. Her trembling hands fidgeted with his jacket as she tried to pin the circle back, while trying hard not to make eye contact. Colonello involuntarily rested his nose on her crown.

"Your hair smells nice, kora."

"That again," she whispered, raising her head up to look at him, and then at nothing in particular.

"I guess an apology is in order here," she continued. Colonello stared at her amusedly.

"Aww," he teased. "You came to say sorry to me, kora?" He neared his face to her cheek, but she held out her hand at his face.

"Although, I must remind you, I am _still _accusing you of things too vulgar to even mention _and _that I'm still suffering from a severe hangover." She smiled sarcastically at him. "Think I still have the patience with that cockiness of yours? I'd be happy to disagree."

"Sorry," he mumbled, adjusting himself back to his original position.

"Me, too," she sighed, leaning back and looking up to the skies. "For . . . pushing you off the window without giving you a chance to explain yourself, and several bunch of other stuffs I may have done to you last night while I was drunk. I can be . . . a bit different when I'm inebriated."

"No doubt about it, kora," he chuckled. Lal stared at him inquiringly.

"What did I do?" she asked a bit shakily.

"Maybe, this will explain things, kora." He reached for his pocket and pulled out a picture. "Get a load of this."

She gave one stare at the picture Mammon gave Reborn, who then passed it on to Colonello, and immediately began ripping it to shreds.

"Yup," she uttered. "I'm still a monster when I'm under the influence of alcohol."

"You weren't _that _bad," Colonello reasoned out. "Although I have no idea what horrors were you doing at that club before I came to get you, you weren't that crazy when I brought you home. Just a little too stubborn, kora."

"Good," Lal sighed, and then dropped her eyes again. "Did I mention something about someone . . .?"

"You mean Ezekiel, kora? Other than his name, nothing else. Although, you _did _mention something about how you were supposed to be married to someone. Are they somehow connected, kora?"

Colonello tried to catch her gaze, but she kept on avoiding it.

"I at least deserve the right to know, kora."

Lal but her lip again, as she finally stared back at him.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything, kora."

"That'll take a long time."

"I got time, kora."

"Fine then."

The woman took a deep breath.

"Before you even entered COMSUMBIN. In fact, it was before I was even ranked as a commander, I was in a happy relationship with this guy named Ezekiel. We were childhood friends, and, when we finally came of age, he proposed to me. You could only imagine how blissful that scene was for me."

"What happened, kora?"

"The man I fell in love with fell out of love for me . . . Up until now, I still have no idea why. . ."

Colonello's eyes widened a bit.

"God, I'm sorry to hear that, kora . . ."

"Yeah? Well, me too." Lal smiled as tears began to brim from her eyes. "I was an idiot to actually believe I deserve a guy like that. He was too perfect for me, and I know that he knows that. Which is why he left me on that day."

"The day of your actual wedding, kora?"

She nodded.

He reached for her shoulder and patted it comfortingly as she reflexively cuddled herself to him.

"Hey, now," he whispered, leaning his forehead into her crown. "We all experience our own heartbreaks from time to time. It happens to everybody, kora."

"I know," she sniffed.

"See, kora? Who knows? Maybe he left you so you could have the chance to find someone better?"

"Actually, I think I already found that man . . ."

"Who, kora?"

She squeezed on his shoulder, making him get what she meant.

"But, I want to run away from him so badly . . ."

"Why, kora?"

She shrugged, and gave out a small, bitter giggle.

"You know why I've always refused having myself be connected with anything that has to do with love? Most specifically when you kept asking me out last month? It's because I'm afraid of loving again."

Colonello looked at her with pity.

"Or, maybe I'm just afraid of getting hurt again."

"That's probably it, kora," he murmured, lifting his head up again, and staring down at her as she did the same.

He looked at his watch, and then smiled.

"Oh, look, kora. The story killed about five minutes of our time."

She breathed to hide a short giggle.

"You know, I _could _go into deeper detail, but . . ."

"That won't be necessary, kora." It was his turn to cuddle his head up between her head and shoulders, arm wrapping around hers, holding onto her hand. "It's enough that I know that the only reason why you've been like this to me when I ask you out is because some fucker did you wrong, kora."

"Thanks for that," she snorted.

"You sang last night, kora."

"I did?"

"Yeah, kora. Nice voice, by the way."

Lal stared at him.

"What was I singing?"

"Some song you two used to sing together or something like that, kora."

The bewildered woman slowly shook her head. She didn't know what he was talking about.

"Come on, you've got to remember that song, kora! It was really nice!"

"I don't remember any song . . ."

Colonello began racking his brain for whatever it is that he can remember from her rather unofficial performance from last night.

"Look, Colonello, you don't have to do that—"

He raised a finger to shush her.

"I think it goes like this, kora . . ."

In a soft and gruff voice, he started humming the one he claimed as Lal's song. The latter stared at him, her eyebrow raised up high. Soon, that uncertain look on her face began to fade as she opened her mouth to sing.

"_Now, I'm about to give you my heart,  
>so remember this one thing:<br>I've never been in love before  
>so you gotta go easy on me"<em>

"Yeah, that's it, kora!" he cried joyfully. Lal gave a small, almost inaudible chuckle.

"So, I really do remember that song," she grumbled to herself. "Typical of you, Lal Mirch."

"Why, kora? What's with that song?"

"It's just some . . . piece of trash I used to sing to him back then. A song of pleading, he used to call it. Right now, I choose to believe he was right. Maybe it really _was _a song of pleading; some pitiful message of asking someone you are about to entrust your heart to never to waste that chance."

"Wow," he whistled. "That is some interpretation you got there, kora."

Her mouth crooked into a smile.

"So, are you willing, kora?"

"Willing to what?"

"To give your heart again, kora?"

"Were you not even listening? I thought I specifically mentioned that I don't want to love again?"

"Nah, you mentioned that you were _afraid_ of loving again, kora. Fear and refusal are two very different things, you know."

She sighed as she rubbed the back of her fingers at the bottom of her eye.

"Fine," she said. "I'm afraid of falling in love again. No, maybe not that. I already feel like I'm already in love."

A glint of hope passed through Colonello's sky-blue eyes.

"I guess I'm just afraid of officially acknowledging that realization, because . . ."

"You're afraid of having history repeat itself, is that it, kora?"

She smiled and nodded.

"Don't you trust me, kora?"

"It's hard to trust, Colonello. Maybe not for you, but it is for me."

"I see, then, kora."

He raised his head from her shoulder, but refused to let go of her hand. She felt him squeeze tighter.

"Hey, Lal?" he called out. She looked up at him.

"Remember when we were up that Ferris wheel and you started crying when I told you things that were a bit too . . . mushy, kora?"

"Yeah."

"Do you remember what I told you back then, kora?"

"You told me that you love me."

"What about that time when I went inside your room the next morning, and all you did was cry and push me away? Do you remember what I told you back then, kora?"

"You told me that you love me. Again."

"Right, kora. How about the time we were standing in front of the altar, and you started crying as I gave my vows? Do you remember that, kora?"

"_That_ never happened."

"It might, kora," he answered as he reached for her other hand, and kissed them both. "It will."

"Not again, Colonello . . ."

"And, when it happens," he continued, not giving much care to her reaction. "I'll still say those words again and again until you believe them, kora."

He set her hands on his lap, and he lifted his hands to her face.

"I love you, kora."

Lal smiled and chuckled coldly.

"You know I'm not drunk anymore, right?"

"I know, kora."

"So, why are you telling me a bunch of nonsense? You think I'll believe them?"

"No," he answered. "Though, I _want _you to believe them, because they're the truth."

The cockiness on her face faded as she looked up to him again.

"Don't do this, Colonello."

"Why not, kora?"

"Love is too dangerous, alright?" She reached for his hands and pulled them down. "Once you've fell for its vindictive lusciousness, you'll never get enough of it. Getting used to it is so hard, and it doesn't prepare you for hurt and disappointment."

He returned the squeeze of her hand on his.

"You can always count on me, kora."

"I know that, but not with things as complicated as this. I don't trust anyone with this kind of impediment."

"Why not try again, kora? You know I'll stay true to my word. I won't harm you, leave you, or give up on you. And, neither will I use you, take advantage of you, and make you regret ever counting on me, kora."

"He said the same thing, you know. Exact same words. It's like I'm listening to a recorded tape."

"Did he also tell you that he loves you, kora?"

"Far too many times."

"Held your hands like how I hold them right now, kora?"

"Only every minute that we are together."

Colonello gritted his teeth from beneath his closed lips to think of something.

"What about when you were drunk, kora? You told me last night that he never took care of you when you're like that!"

"True. And, I can't blame him. They say I can be a bit when I'm drunk."

"I don't mind, kora. You're kinda cute when you have no idea what you're doing, except when you start stripping and things as disturbing as that."

She giggled, and then frowned.

"Is that why I woke up next to you this morning?"

"Somehow," he said. "My real reason was that I got locked in, and, since I had no choice and that I was fucking tired, I fell asleep next to you without knowing it, kora."

"Really?" she asked. He nodded.

"I guess I owe you a 'thank you' then." She looked up to him. "Thank you. It means a lot for me when some goes out of their way to care for me, even if I don't give a shit about them."

Then again, he was always like that to her. He was willing to block a bullet for her, and even bear a curse for her. Heck, maybe he can even kill himself in embarrassment for her.

No matter what the case may be, and no matter how much she pushes him away, she stills find him very reliable.

She could always count on him to be there for her.

"So, does that mean, I gain one up-point from that Ezekiel-idiot, kora?" Colonello asked optimistically.

"Colonello," she sighed. "Do me a favor, and stop comparing yourself to Ezekiel. That guy's a bullshit. You're . . . also a bullshit, but a better kind." She smiled. "The kind I like. As a matter of fact, I'd pick you over him anytime."

"Really, kora?"

"Of course. Anyone in the right mind would."

"So . . ." Colonello's hand naughtily crept up to her, and grasped it gently. "Does this mean we're officially going out, kora?"

"Don't get your hopes up."

The Rain Arcobaleno pouted childishly as he crossed his arms and look away, and so she looked away as well. He took that moment and to lean over and try and kiss her on the cheek, but she immediately turned her head around, and he ended up meeting her lips instead.

"Sly little weasel," she growled as he started laughing, and soon she found herself laughing as well.

_I really hope you understand  
>that if you want to take my hand<br>then you put yours on my heart_

He stood up, and held out his hand for her.

"Shall we go, kora? They might be worried about us, kora."

She stared at it for a few seconds.

"Look," she said again, this time a bit seriously. "I know that I said I'd pick you over Ezekiel, and I meant that, but I also meant for you to never get your hopes up."

He stared at her solemnly, and so did she, but soon he grabbed her hand and pulled her up, wrapping his arms around her and stealing a kiss on his forehead.

"You talk too much, kora."

_I promise to be careful from the start_

"I _might _say 'yes'," she said meekly as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'll hold on to that, then, kora."

"Yeah, you do that."

**-FIN-**

**Well, that's pretty much it. Yeah. I imagine Lal a lot like how I imagine other tsunderes drunk, but let us not go that deeper, 'kay?**

**BTW, the song Lal sung was entitled "Count on You" by BTR! Sorry for the late mention! Forgive me BTR! I love you Logan!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Please review nicely!**

**LoveLots~**


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